Fresno County

Service Members, Veterans & Their Families

Meatball supper raises over $5,000 for the Fergus Falls Veterans Home

Fergus Falls Daily Journal - 2/13/2018

Feb. 13--Inge Krause is always eager to help out local veterans. Both of her sons served in the military, one in the army -- the other in the marines, and she spent much of her time volunteering at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Fergus Falls.

Krause has gone on fishing trips, pontoon trips, to baseball games and to the movies and she has even baked cookies for the veterans.

"I love going there and taking my husband along," Krause said. "The veterans are great people to sit with and talk about their stories and that's part of what inspired me. I admire these people, I really do."

From her son's time in the military, her patriotism and love for veterans, Krause was inspired to donate to the Veterans Home. So, partnering with the Fergus Falls Eagles Aerie 2239 who hosted the event and paid for the food, and with the help of her family, Krause organized a meatball supper on Jan. 10, a fundraiser for a new bus for the Veterans Home. Allen Rocholl, building services supervisor of the Veterans Home and Krause's son, said organizing the fundraiser became a family event.

"I assisted with some of the preparation of it and I helped with serving," Rocholl said. "It was family oriented. My wife and two daughters and my mom's husband and her friend were coordinators of it."

Rocholl said about 280 people attended the meatball fundraiser. From just the food alone, $3,000 was raised. Krause said they also received $50 from the Ladies Auxiliary of the Eagles Aerie 2339 and $1,500 from the Eagles Aeries. Totalling to $5,500 to go toward a new bus for the Veterans Home.

According to Deanna Mounts development and volunteer services coordinator at the Veterans Home, the bus will be replacing a 20-year-old bus the facility currently uses. The bus will be used for medical appointments, meal outings, baseball games, bowling, shopping, community events and much more.

"I thought it was so special that Inge would think, 'What can I do for the Veterans Home?' " Mounts said. "That is pretty cool and because of that, she went on to plan a very successful fundraiser with the help of the Eagles Aerie."

The Veterans Home is now halfway to their goal. According to Mounts, a bus comparable to the one they have now will cost just over $60,000.

"We just started raising money in November, so to be halfway there is phenomenal," Mounts said.